Society for Medical Anthropology

A section of the American Anthropological Association

Academic Resources: Topical Resources

  • Social Capital

introductory concepts

  • What is social capital? Based on extracts from “Social Capital: Family Support Services and Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW” Paul Bullen and Jenny Onyx, April 1999
    includes social capital: resources and links
  • Social Capital Conceptual Frameworks; Related issues & frameworks; Australian surveys and projects, New Zealand, USA, Other Places; Writings - Putnam, Cox, Fukuyama; Further reading, bibliographies, literature reviews
  • Social Capital: What is it? from Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000).
  • 'social capital' Entry in the encyclopaedia of informal education, Mark K. Smith 2000, 2001. Last update:05 November 2002. The notion of social capital is a useful way of entering into debates about civil society – and it is central to the arguments of Robert Putnam and others who want to ‘reclaim public life’. It is also now being used by the World Bank with regard to economic and societal development and by management experts as a way of thinking about organizational development. We examine it's nature - and some of the issues surrounding its use. Includes links, references, and further reading,
  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics Social Capital Theme page
    There is a widely held view that social and economic outcomes of individuals,families and communities are better in areas and for groups where there are higher levels of social capital. Policy interest centres on the nature of the relationship between social capital and outcomes in areas such as health, education, work, and income, as well as the ways in which social capital can be fostered. For this reason, the ABS is interested in developing national and state measures of social capital for future inclusion in our survey program. The purpose of this theme page is to provide an up to date reference to the progress of the ABS social capital project.

bibliographies & databases

  • Social Capital: Conceptual Frameworks and Empirical Evidence. An Annotated Bibliography (pdf)
    Tine Feldman, and Susan Assaf, 1999.
    This working paper series reports on the progress of the Social Capital Initiative. It hopes to contribute to the international debate on the role of social capital as an element of sustainable development.
  • PovertyNet Library: Social Capital (WorldBank)
    This database includes hundreds of abstracts of documents on social capital which will be updated and supplemented periodically. The database is intended to further the knowledge, understanding, and applications of social capital for sustainable social and economic development. We hope that it will be used by World Bank staff, external partners, universities, researchers, institutions, civil society, governments and practitioners interested in social capital.
  • Reading Lists in Social Capital -- Social Capital Gateway, Dept. of Public Economics, University of Rome La Sapienza
    • What is social capital: basic concepts
      Essential readings of this section include the studies that have introduced the multidimensional concept of social capital in the social sciences debate, influencing great part of the following literature on this topic. Further readings include some alternative views and few useful surveys of the literature
    • Measuring Social Capital
      Section devoted to the measurement of social capital. It includes theoretical works on measurement methods, empirical studies measuring social capital at a local level, and few useful surveys of the literature
    • Social capital and health
      This section deals with the relationship between social capital and health. Particular attention is given to the role of social capital in improving the efficiency and accessibility of public health systems.
    • Social Interactions, Health and the Quality of Life in Urban and Rural Areas of Less Developed Countries
      Studies collected in this section show how different forms of social capital may mitigate the effects of poverty and inequalities. For example, social networks make possible the creation of spontaneous mechanisms of informal insurance; collective action, often in the form of voluntary organizations, can improve the efficiency of public services delivery and/or of public social protection systems.
    • Social capital, productivity, knowledge and innovation
      This section deals with the relationship between social networks, knowledge diffusion and technological innovation. Suggested readings address both the micro and the macro level of analysis.
    • Social capital, public services and the welfare state
      Social capital is able to improve the quality of life also reducing inequalities and fostering the efficiency and accessibility of public mechanisms of social protection. This sub-section deals in particular with the relationship between social capital and the welfare state in public services delivery and inequalities reduction.
    • Development Assistance, Civil Society, Social Capital and Poverty Reduction
      This section deals with the biunique relationship between social capital and development programmes.
    • Social capital and economic transition in post-communist countries
      This section collects readings on the role of social capital in the economic transition in post-communist countries. Considered studies are closely related to those presented in the section devoted to Trust and institutions in post-communist countries.

papers & publications

projects

  • The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey
    In the survey, we look at how connected we are to family, friends, neighbors and civic institutions on a local and national level. These connections - our Social Capital - are the glue that hold us together and enable us to build bridges to others. This project will assist residents in each of our local communities as they work to build stronger communities and strengthen community bonds.

syllabi